Thread: Theodore Roosevelt on ethnicity and the American mainstream

We should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an

American and assimilates himself to us he shall be treated on an exact equality with every one else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed or birth-place or origin.

But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American. If he tries to keep segregated with men of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn't doing his part as an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. . . We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people.

I have been reading a quote on Teddy Roosevelts perspective on ethnicity and Americans another ALIPAC poster keeps using and realizing that it did not actually reflect his full range of opinion on the subject. The reason being my great grandfather was a close friend of Roosevelt's and he hired my grandfather to represent him in his giving assistance to some "fellow Dutch" who were refugees. I was amused today to discover the quote itself is another reminder of my family's Zelig like appearance through out American history. The letter in which it appears was written to by Roosevelt to my fathers godfather who was active in the mobilization of business for the First World War. In fact my father was named after him and I was named after my father. If you trace the letter to the original recipient you will find he is named Richard.

My position is that we should find common cause as citizens but not forget where our families came from.

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/r/ ... ration.htm

Quote from Theodore Roosevelt about Immigration-Truth!


Summary of the eRumor
A quote from Theodore Roosevelt expressing his views in immigrants. He said they should assimilate, become loyal Americans, and speak English.

The Truth:
The quote is authentic but some of the wording is different than the original from Teddy Roosevelt. Also, it was not a quote from 1907 but was written in a letter by then former president Roosevelt on January 3, 1919 to the president of the American Defense Society. It was read publicly at a meeting on January 5, 1919. Roosevelt died the next day, on January 6, 1919

Teddy Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States and the youngest to ever occupy the Oval Office. He was Vice President to President William McKinley when in 1901 McKinley was assassinated the Roosevelt took over at age 42. (At age 43 President John F. Kennedy was the youngest to ever be elected President.)
The actual text from Teddy Roosevelt's letter is below. There are a few minor differences from the original such as changing "man" to "person" but the content is virtually identical.



We should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an

American and assimilates himself to us he shall be treated on an exact equality with every one else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed or birth-place or origin.

But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American. If he tries to keep segregated with men of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn't doing his part as an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. . . We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people.